CSM Prosser says goodbye to First Army

ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES

04.30.2026

Courtesy Story

First Army

It has been the honor of my career to serve as the Command Sergeant Major of this outstanding organization for the past 37 months. As I prepare to depart from this position that has meant so much to me both personally and professionally, I want to share a few reflections with all of you who remain to carry on our essential mission: partnering with, enabling, and mobilizing our Reserve Component peers.

I will start with the beating heart of who we are: the First Army OC/T. I have focused heavily on the Observer Controller/Trainer—our pacing item. I have seen you standing in the mud, in the heat, and in the freezing cold to look a partner unit in the eye and give them the hard truths they needed to hear in an After Action Review. I have seen you take a partner unit’s upcoming deployment to the southern border or into the volatile CENTCOM Area of Responsibility as seriously as if it were your own. I have seen you, day in and day out, bring to life the vision that Lt. Gen. Landes set forth for our OC/Ts on the day he took command: The finest warfighting advisors delivering a lethal Total Force ready for combat. I cannot say it enough: I am so proud to have been on your team, and I am even more proud of all we have accomplished on behalf of our OC/Ts these past three years.

Together, we established and executed two world-class, Army-level OC/T competitions. We modernized the Program of Instruction for the First Army OC/T Academy to create better OCs. The Academy is decisively the Army’s gold standard for OC/T development; our approach is being modeled throughout the force thanks to the expertise and knowledge of our instructors. We have also recognized that Army OC/Ts must enable units for the fight of the future: we now train to fight near-peer and peer threats; we have built drones from scratch; and we were instrumental in the development of Counter-UAS doctrine.

Let me emphasize something for each of you: First Army does essential work for our nation’s security. Our OC/Ts are out executing tactical work that has a deep strategic impact. Our adversaries know that no Army in the world can match two of our force’s most unique and critical elements: (1) a professional Noncommissioned Officer corps that enforces standards, training management, and discipline, and (2) a force-multiplying, combat-ready Reserve Component that can flex into the fight when circumstances require it. Never forget: America has never fought and won a major global conflict without all three of our components—Active, National Guard, and Army Reserve. I do not believe we ever will, and it is thanks to the work of First Army that America’s indomitable Citizen Soldier stands prepared to answer when their nation calls.

One more observation as I close: First Army—and each one of you—does essential work in enabling today’s Total Force. I have had the honor of representing this organization on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day commemoration events during my time as Deed 7. Although I have deeply believed in First Army’s modern mission since the day I arrived at Rock Island Arsenal, it was there, on Omaha Beach, that the centrality of a trained, cohesive, and interoperable Total Force truly sank in. When you stand on those historic shores, you can see that iconic day in your mind’s eye; the first two elements to hit that hellish beach were the 1st Infantry Division (Active) and the 29th Infantry Division (National Guard). Together, they were unstoppable. Together, they changed the course of human history.

Our world once again stands at a dangerous inflection point: recent kinetic actions in our own hemisphere; a grinding conflict in Europe; hostilities and unrest in the Middle East; and potentially looming war clouds over the Pacific. Make no mistake: what you do daily sets the conditions for our Total Force to be ready not just for steady-state missions, but for emerging global contingencies. I cannot think of a mission more important.

I thank each of you for your dedication, service, and leadership.

Respectfully,

Deed 7

CSM Chris Prosser

• Date Taken: 04.30.2026
• Date Posted: 04.30.2026 14:21
• Story ID: 564017
• Location: ILLINOIS, US